Border Zones of Ecology and Systems Theory

Abstract

In any field of knowledge, the study of interactions leads logically to the concept of system organization. Khailov (1964) For many years now, proponents of systems theory and advocates of ecology have been engaged in an intense exchange of ideas, principles, concepts, theories, models, and methods.1 The dynamics of this exchange have given a boost to both fields. Individual pioneers (such as Eugene and Howard Odum) and innovative organisations (such as the Santa Fé Institute) have spurred on this reciprocal concept transfer. Ecology and systems theory thus form two research fields which are only partially separated and which display powerful internal dynamics and borders that are perme- able from several sides. Both research areas are, however, riddled with controversy. Heterogeneous discourses have developed in both fields, each of these discourses possessing its own specific cognitive and social order, along with the corresponding theoretical concepts and scientific practices to match. While each discourse has its own history, the history of the relationship between the two remains unwritten.